Invisible New Radar Chips

People are increasingly abandon the purchase of cars, believes the management of the American car manufacturer, General Motors. If necessary, they will demand a car independently driving. New radar chips from Holland are so small that they can be attached almost invisibly.The German DAX company Infineon world market leader in radar chips gets competition. NXP semiconductors former Semiconductor Division of the Dutch Philips, has developed chip, which is not much bigger than a postage stamp. The Internet giant Google, which themselves increase the technology group test him now in his cuddly autonomous driving car.

Google is already testing the new NFX chip.

All round surveillance radar

Like its German rivals, the chip consists of a transmitter, which fanned out emits radar waves of frequency 77 GHz, and a receiver which captures the reflected signals. The integrated processor calculates the exact position of the respective obstacle from run-time and angle of incidence. The measurements of the all-round arrangement of sensors is repeated at short intervals.

“This is where everything gets” 2016 is read on the logo of the CES. And so also NXP has introduced its mini sensor just at the Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Photo: Andrey Sokolov / dpa

They serve as the basis for actions of the vehicle in conjunction with cameras and image recognition. When approaching obstacles, it’s way out, it is very close it slows down, if necessary up to the stop. The radar chip captures pedestrians and ensures sufficient margin when driving past on parked vehicles.

Radar chips already help when reversing

For years, such chips are incorporated into cars, to prevent collisions when reversing. Mainly upper-class vehicles are often equipped with radar sensors to make sure that the safety distance to the car vehicle in front stops. Driver is to firmly step on the gas buzzer will sound. He is not respect the vehicle slows down automatically, until the necessary distance has been restored.

CES in Las Vegas

So far, such sensors, which manufactures mainly Bosch with Infineon electronics, used only in autonomous driving test vehicles. So far, the Google car was equipped with other radar sensors. Obviously forced it to particularly defensive driving. One drove away in a test drive on a public road in California so slow that long traffic jams formed. The police turned him to be in the way. Good it stopped, so that the caravans could pass.

Self propelled cars are top topic in Las Vegas CES 2016

NXP has introduced its sensor just at the Electronics Show CES in Las Vegas. Google is one of the customers who test the chip – the others remained anonymous. Due to its small size, he let almost invisibly integrated into the bodywork, Torsten Lehmann, at NXP says responsible for infotainment and driver assistance. “Unattractive holes in the rear”, behind which hide today’s parking sensors, are now superfluous. In addition they consume 40 percent less power than competing models. NXP says what plays a role in electric cars.

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